Snippets Of Daily Life (part 5)

"Earthquakes shake the dust behind you
This world at times will blind you
Still I know I'll see you there
Come a little closer, then you'll see
Come on, come on, come on"
 - Come A Little Closer, by Cage The Elephant


The day is so clear, every snow-capped mountain sounding the city of Quito is visible, each of them rising in majestic, stark contrast against the pale blue sky. There's a walkway going up and over a highway which I cross to get to one of the ministry sites, and on a day like today, the walkway gives a perfect view of Mount Cotopaxi. I stop to admire it, smiling as though it's a dear friend, rarely seen.

The sun is so bright, a person actually opens a worn umbrella on the bus to shield himself from the sun streaming in the window. Later, after I'm already home, a story appears on my newsfeed which warns that the solar radiation is especially strong today. It's one of a handful of notices I've seen this year. Even so, indoors often becomes chilly, any bit of shade cooling quickly in the thin air. When I go to pull my clothes out of the dryer, I stand there holding them against my skin for the longest time, the warmth spreading over me and through me.

__________


There's a man I see riding around the neighborhood with a weed-eater and hedge clippers strapped to his bicycle. I've seen him stop at various homes and unload his tools, getting to work on the yard. He always wears a floppy brown hat over his weathered brown face. If I had a yard or a hedge, maybe I'd flag him down one day. He's one of many neighborhood characters I'm continually seeing when I glance outside, among them, the aging unicyclist with the bright orange vest and protective gear, and the man who sells empanadas most days around 5:30pm. He drives his motorcycle while honking and calling out, "Empanadas, empanadas!", whistling and looking around for anyone who wishes to flag him down and purchase the food items stored in the case in the back of his vehicle.

__________


In my dining room is a long wooden cabinet which I use as my pantry. When I first moved in, I repainted the cabinet a pale, almost periwinkle blue. I sat and painted that cabinet for about three hours one morning while episodes of "House" played on my laptop, perched on a nearby chair. My roommate calls it the Magic Cabinet, because she never knows what I'll put from there. Canned goods and baking supplies. A bottle of Gatorade or a bottle of red wine. A treasured item rarely found in grocery stores here, such as mint Milano cookies or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Pasta, or popcorn kernels. My roommate's items were already stored in the kitchen cabinets, so having my Magic Cabinet is perfect. We each cook two dinners a week, eat leftovers two nights and go out or order in another night, if not using up more leftovers or cooking up something simple such as eggs. I find most of my recipes on Pinterest and usually cook at least one vegetarian meal a week. For Christmas, the Magic Cabinet has a nativity scene set on top of it, along with a small village and a red metal tree with buttons and marbles fashioned into ornaments; festive and bright.